In the Book of Genesis, a rainbow represents God’s covenant after the Flood. Genesis 9:12–17 presents the rainbow in the clouds as the sign of the covenant between God, Noah, every living creature, and the earth.
The covenant follows Noah’s emergence from the Ark and the offering he makes after the waters recede. God promises that a flood will not again destroy all life on earth, and the rainbow serves as the visible reminder of that promise.
The passage gives the sign a universal scope: it is not described only as a private agreement with Noah. The covenant includes future generations and the living creatures associated with the Flood story. This is why the rainbow’s meaning in Genesis extends beyond Noah’s household.
The rainbow is separate from the dove sent during the search for dry land. The dove is part of the earlier narrative about discovering whether the waters had fallen, while the rainbow appears later as the covenant sign.